Watch police foil drug-driver’s effort to drive wrong way down A14 and A428 in Cambridgeshire
A drug-driver who attempted to go the wrong way down the A14 and the A428 was twice foiled by police.
They had spotted that Kevin Hands, 46, of Thistle Green, Swavesey, had an expired MoT for his Vauxhall Insignia and began following him in the early hours of April 5.
When he continued on to the A14, the officers signalled for him to stop at the Bar Hill junction. Instead, he drove around the roundabout the wrong way before taking the turn for Northstowe and Longstanton.
Hands then reversed back onto the roundabout and joined the eastbound A14, but officers blocked him with their patrol car as he tried to drive the wrong way along the road.
The pursuit continued on the correct side of the road, but when Hands left the Girton interchange on the A14 towards Histon, he tried to turn right to go the wrong way down the A428. The officers used their car to push the Insignia into the central reservation.
Hands got out his car and ran, but was captured on a nearby bridge and taken to hospital after claiming that he had swallowed heroin and cocaine.
A blood test found he had cocaine and benzoyleconine above the specified drug drive limit and further inquiries found he had no insurance or licence.
Hands stayed in hospital for medical reasons and later failed to comply with requests to attend a voluntary interview.
When officers went to arrest him at his home on September 20, they found him hiding under a table. They also found a small cannabis grow of four plants.
Hands was sentenced last Wednesday (December 7) at Huntingdon Crown Court to one year in prison, after pleading guilty to being concerned in the production of cannabis, dangerous driving, making off without payment, driving with no insurance, driving with no licence and drug driving.
The making off without payment related to a theft of £131.42 of fuel from the BP station in Cherry Hinton Road, Cambridge, on April 2.
Hands was also disqualified from driving for four years and six months and ordered to pay £156 in costs.
PC Jonathon Ward said: “Hands drove incredibly dangerously on the A14, all while under the influence of drugs.
“He was a danger to himself and other road users so I am pleased he has now brought to justice.”
The force has launched its winter crackdown on those driving under the influence this Christmas.
It is supporting a new national campaign by Sussex Police and Surrey Police calling on the public and friends of drink-drivers to prevent, persuade and, as a last resort, report drink drivers to police this festive season.
Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s dedicated, confidential hotline - 0800 032 0845 - is available around the clock so that people can report drink or drug-drivers.
For more information about drink or drug driving, the law and the dangers it can cause, visit the force’s dedicated drink driving web page.
